About Us

Olaf is  graduate of the Faculty of Dentistry at the University of Western Ontario. After practicing for five years as a general dentist he ventured forward and received his Diploma in the Specialty of Paediatric Dentistry from IUPUI (Indiana University) in Indianapolis, Indiana. He practiced full time paediatric dentistry from 1984 until 2014 when he had to take early retirement. He taught at the Schulich School of Dentistry for 41 years in various roles but finished off as adjunct clinical professor in the Division of Paediatric dentistry and retired from the school in 2018. Since 1996 he has been the Dental Director of the Cleft Lip and Palate and Craniofacial Anomaly Team at Thames Valley Children’s Centre in London, Ontario. Olaf served on the Executive of the London and District Dental Society from 1993-1998. He has authored or coauthored several scientific articles. He participated in Operation Walk Canada for the last 4 years as the paediatric dentist on its mission to Antigua, Guatemala. He sits on the Board of Directors of Merrymount Family support and Crisis Centre. He has been recognized by both the London and District Dental Society and the Ontario Dental Association for his contribution to the Specialty of Paediatric Dentistry and was recently honoured with the Alumni of Distinction Award from the Schulich Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry. He is a founding member of CSDH.  Olaf is passionate about paediatric dentistry and feels honoured to have been chosen in 2020 as the first president of The Canadian Society for Disability and Oral Health.

Carol graduated from the University of Manitoba with a Diploma in Dental Hygiene (1992) and a Bachelor of Dental Hygiene (2010). In 2012, she attained a Masters in Health Studies and Leadership through Athabasca University. Carol is a creative collaborator in the promotion of oral health wellness for vulnerable populations, and has pursued countless opportunities to do so both professionally and through volunteer experiences throughout her career. Carol’s many accomplishments include positions in dental hygiene clinical practice, management, consulting, and educational roles at universities, colleges, regulatory authorities, and with associations in both British Columbia and Manitoba. She retired from her role from the First Nations Health Authority in 2019 where she served as the Manager, Oral Health for the First Nations Peoples of British Columbia. Her substantive leadership experience includes appointments as a board member, chairperson and president of the Canadian Dental Hygienists Association (CDHA), governor of the National Dental Hygiene Certification Board (NDHCB), and as an active member of several national and regional steering committees. Along with her colleagues, Carol contributed her energy and enthusiasm to help pass The Dental Hygienists Act in Manitoba. Carol served as one of the founding oral health promotion specialists at the launching of the University of Manitoba’s Centre for Community Oral Health (CCOH) in 2000. As CCOH Health Promotion Unit’s manager, she contributed to ground-breaking caregiver training programs, resources, and research focused on adults dependent on others for their daily oral care. Over the arc of her oral health career, Carol has received numerous grants and awards. Most recently, she was Canada’s first-ever winner of the Golisano Health Leadership Award (’16), recognizing her dedicated volunteer work with Special Olympics on behalf of individuals with intellectual disabilities. Carol is a proud member of the Canadian Dental Hygienists Association, the British Columbia Dental Hygienists Association, and the Canadian Association of Public Dentistry. Her publications and numerous presentations targeting the most vulnerable reflect her passion for achieving wellness by addressing access to care barriers and the important link between oral and overall health. Carol enjoys her on-going contributions as a Regional Clinical Advisor and as a Clinical Director of the Special Olympics’ Special Smiles Healthy Athletes program. 

Dr. Chantal Czerednikow is a general dentist practicing in Montréal, Québec. Experiences during dental school at McGill University and throughout residency at the Montreal Children's Hospital opened her eyes to the world of Special Care Dentistry. Craving more training in the field, she pursued a mini-residency at the Lee Specialty Clinic in Louisville Kentucky, shadowed Dr. Clive Friedman in London, Ontario and completed an internship at the dental clinic for  Soins Spécifiques in Clermont-Ferrand, France. In 2017, she began working at a new clinic for adults with ASD and/or ID in combination with teaching Special Care Dentistry to the dental residents at the Montreal General Hospital. When Chantal is not at the Special Care clinic, she divides her time between a family-oriented private practice and the Montreal Children's Hospital. She has also been actively involved with Special Olympics Québec. Working with the Health Communities Director to organize screening events at university dental clinics.  Chantal is passionate about sharing ideas, experiences and expertise and wants to support those that are interested in learning more about Special Care Dentistry! Chantal is a member of the International Association for Disability and Oral Health, Irish Society for Disability and Oral Health, American Academy of Developmental Medicine and Dentistry, Academy of Richard V. Tucker Study Clubs and the Canadian Dental Association. 

Dr. Timucin Ari is a Certified Specialist in Pediatric Dentistry, who is passionate about providing the best quality care for infants, children, adolescents and patients with special needs. After graduating from Marmara University, Istanbul with Dean’s Honour in 1996, he pursued six additional years of combined PhD and specialty program to become a pediatric dentist. He then decided to move to London, Ontario in 2010 and worked at Division of Paediatric Dentistry & Undergraduate Orthodontics, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry for 9 years with last 2 years as the chair. He is a fellow of the Royal College of Dentists of Canada and a member of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and Canadian Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. Dr. Ari is also involved with international associations and is the Past-President of International Association for Disability and Oral Health.